Of Strangers And Soulmates
by Davael
Summary: Sometimes you can find that someone on unexpected places. MannokoHao. A little oneshot, completely random.


Title: **Of Strangers And Soulmates**

Author: Davael

Rating: T, I guess.

Pairing: Oyamada Mannoko/ Hao Asakura

* * *

Mannoko really, _really_ hated parties like this. Parties where she didn't know almost anyone, and everyone, after the formal greetings, subtly ignored her. Parties where it seemed, _everyone_ but her were involved in some big secret. 

Mannoko hated to be ignored.

She watched from the bar stool as her brother talked with his friend, Asakura something, who looked too lazy to be good-looking. Beside Manta and his friend was standing Mrs. Asakura, tall and blonde woman, who Mannoko had immediately put in "The Bitch"-category. She didn't get too well along with tall women. Tall women and Mannoko meant cat-fights. For a moment Mannoko let herself look at her brother closely. Manta was seriously starting to look old, and it made Mannoko uncomfortably conscious of her own nearing thirtieth birthday. She wasn´t even married!

To distract herself, Mannoko looked over the other side of the room, and spotted a man wearing a white tunic. Probably some kind of an artist. He was fairly good-looking, though, with his long black hair and all. He also looked much like Manta´s Asakura friend, so they were probably related.

When the man looked over at Mannoko, she smiled slowly. Then she looked on the other direction, absent-mindedly stirring the drink on her hand, until she heard a low, melodious voice say; "Hello."

She turned. The man was even taller up close, but Mannoko knew how to handle tall men.

She handled them like she handled every other man.

"Hi there, " Mannoko smiled again, feigning surprise.

"I'm Asakura Hao, " the man said, and paused, as if waiting some kind of reaction. When nothing happened, he continued, "I'm Asakura Yoh´s brother."

"Ah, you two looked alike all right. I'm Oyamada Mannoko, here with my brother," Mannoko said, hoping that the man would take the hint.

"Ah, " the man said, falling silent. It seemed like he had used all his conversation-material.

"So," Mannoko started, "what do you do? Are you some kind of a designer, perhaps?" Asakura Hao smiled, this time amused.

"Actually, I'm a shaman. I tried to kill my brother and his friends to be a Shaman King, but that didn't work out, so now I'm occasionally living with them."

"I see. Are you still trying to get that Shaman King-title?" Mannoko asked, without blinking her eye. If the man was trying to distract her, he was doing a pretty poor job. Mannoko had been raised to expect this kind of situations.

Besides, when one had been in an Oyamada New Year party, with families invited from both sides, you don't get surprised that often. There was still blood- and marshmallow stains on the kitchen ceiling.

"Well, not really, "Asakura Hao shrugged.

They both fell silent for a moment. Mannoko watched from the side of her eye the man next to her. His manners weren't so bad, and the good looks were always a bonus. Too bad for the conversation-skills, but perhaps he could be moulded in to something resembling a fiancée. Her father had always praised her for her style to set a goal and work on it until she got it.

She straightened a bit, allowing her breasts to stick out more. Beside her, she could see Asakura Hao smoothing his tunic self-consciously.

She turned and smiled her most stunning smile.

"Listen, do you have a light? I need to light up my cigarette." At the word "light" Asakura Hao looked like he had died and gone to heaven. Woman! Talking about fire! Such a turn-on!

"Marry me," he said. Neither of them noticed or cared as a little Spirit of Fire appeared and lit Mannoko´s cigarette. Mannoko laughed flirtingly.

"Tell you what? Buy me a drink and we'll talk about it."

Hao smiled back. So far so good. No slapping, at least not yet. Maybe this could work out. He hadn´t really thought about it before, but he _did_ have a thing for the short-and-chubby type.

* * *

As they headed for the exit, hand in hand, Mannoko saw her nephew, Makoto, at the buffet table, hitting a blonde boy with headphones with a tray over and over again. She mentally cheered him on.

Never underestimate Oyamada´s, for they are short and persistent as a bulldog with a leg when they want something.

Hao was as good as hers.

* * *

Author´s Notes: 

I think this would be a perfectly good pairing. I think they fit to each other. Seriously. Mannoko´s so cool.

This is, kinda, placed on the same universe as in my other fic, New Blood, that´s why there´s a mention about Makoto in end of the fic.

And for final, this is a completely random idea about those two meeting in some kind of a getting-together party for all the shamans in the big shaman-fight thingy. Contest.

Review?


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